Posts from April 2024
E-note April 26, 2024
Dear Peace members and friends, 30 years ago tomorrow, a momentous event happened in Africa and the world. For the first time, black South Africans were able to vote in a national election. Nelson Mandela became the country’s first President and, 2 years later, won the Nobel Peace Prize. What is seldom remembered is that Mandela shared that prize with another South African leader, F. W. de Klerk. For reasons that are still not completely clear, de Klerk (brought up…
CYF Blast April 25, 2024
Dear Families and Friends of Peace, With Sunday’s Affirmation of Baptism for our 8th grade students, our year of Confirmation officially concluded–and it was a great year! Our weekly gatherings were centered around the theme of “God’s Story, My Story,” and our students explored the Bible, focusing on different people and their stories of how God worked in, through, and around them. Through both the Old and New Testaments, there were people and groups who faced hardship, pain, persecution, adversity,…
E-Note April 19, 2024
Dear Peace members and friends, Coming up this weekend is that annual Sunday of the Easter season that is often called, “Good Shepherd Sunday.” “I am the good shepherd,” Jesus declares in Sunday’s Gospel. And here’s one thing in this reading that becomes clear: Jesus does everything that ultimately matters. 5 times in 8 short verses he says, “I lay down my life”—for us! For you; for me! To confess that Jesus is our shepherd is to also say that…
CYF Blast April 18, 2024
Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This Sunday, during our 9:30am worship service, is the Rite of Confirmation, an affirmation of baptism for our 8th grade Confirmands—Eli Betlock, Kingston Fast, and Sofia Oman. During the Rite, our students are supporting and proclaiming the promises of eternal life and unconditional love that God has already pronounced over them. They are also publicly stating that they are ready to take on both the blessings and responsibilities of being an adult member of the…
E-Note April 12, 2024
Dear Peace members and friends, What a joyful Easter Sunday we had two weeks ago! And here’s the thing: the hope of Easter continues to happen. As I write these words, I’m getting ready to celebrate the life of Tom Gilmore’s mother, Joan. I’ll be reminding those who are present that Joan made the lives of people better wherever she was, and sharing with them the hope we have in Christ—“death has been swallowed up in victory.” Yes, Easter continues!…
CYF Blast April 11, 2024
Dear Families and Friends of Peace, We are approaching the end of one of the greatest weeks in all of sports. Last weekend, men’s and women’s college basketball teams competed in the Final Four, and then for the National Championship. Starting today, The Master’s golf tournament begins at Augusta National. Watching the basketball games, I was struck by the unique situation that both finals included the best individual player against the best all-around team—and in both cases, the best team…
E-Note April 5, 2024
Dear Peace Members, What a wonderful Holy Week we had at Peace!Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday worship—the Scripture, the music, the gathered people of God—all proclaiming the Good News: “He is risen! He is risen, indeed!” Now the question is: what does it mean for how we live….now! Does the Risen Christ make a difference—not just about death after life but life before death? That’s why the church calendar gives us 50 days to take the Good News…
CYF Blast April 4, 2024
Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Registration for VBS 2024 is officially open! Together with our friends at Community of the Cross Lutheran Church, “Scuba” VBS takes kids deep into an amazing undersea adventure where they’ll be “Diving Into Friendship With God,” and experience God’s ever-flowing, never-ending love. Throughout the week, students will learn that: Kids will be immersed in God’s Word and will discover what the Living Water of God is all about! I’m very excited to continue our…